Oh, Brother
by princesspomegranate
Summary: Sarah can't stop dreaming about the Goblin King, but soon her dreams aren't the only thing she has to worry about. A regular day at work and a negotiation with a royal pain sees Sarah and Jareth brought together again, but their relationship was never destined to run smoothly. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Sarah's eyes opened and a groan slipped out of her mouth. Her toes curled into the bedsheets beneath her as she tried to ignore the fact that her entire body was tingling. She threw her hands in front of her face and pressed her palms down over her eyes. _Not again._ She groaned again and forced herself to roll out of bed, heading straight for the shower.

It wasn't until the cool water was pouring down onto her that some of her frustration began to ebb away. Her head was tilted down, allowing rivulets of water to run down her face. Every night was the same, and every morning she woke up unsatisfied and confused. She scrunched her eyes closed. _I'm going insane._

The worst part was that the dreams were never bad. Despite how her waking mind remembered the Goblin King, at night and in her dreams he was different. Sarah's fingers threaded into her hair, slipping in easily with a coating of shampoo. She started to rub at her scalp a little harder than necessary, trying to reinforce her reality.

Sometimes the dreams could seem so real. A lot of them saw her getting to the end of the Labyrinth and making a different choice. A lot of them saw her choosing not to sacrifice Toby, but to change places with him. Most of them ended with her in his bed, and back in the Underground. Night after night, her sleeping mind would see her choosing to stay with him, to become his Queen and never return Aboveground. Last night's dream had put her particularly on edge. Sarah scrunched her eyes closed further against the shampoo dripping down her face.

That wasn't what had happened. No matter what her subconscious wanted her to believe when she slept, she'd denied the Goblin King and returned Aboveground. Of course she had. Sarah didn't blame herself for that – she was only 15 when confronted with the choice and no rational 15-year-old would pick a fae who kidnapped their brother when they could return home safely.

Something in her subconscious obviously did regret those actions though because it kept her dreaming about a different choice. _Stupid Goblin King. I bet he's never lost sleep over me_, she thought.

By the time that Sarah stepped out of the shower and wrapped a fluffy blue towel around herself, her skin was pink and a little too cold. She felt more normal though and that was what mattered. She grabbed her toothbrush and squeezed out a blob of toothpaste before shoving it in her mouth and starting to clean her teeth.

At the same time, she moved back into the adjoining room and grabbed her phone, switching on her morning playlist. The sound of familiar songs distracted her through getting ready for another day at work - but not enough to stop a little part of her wishing that she could go back to sleep again.

Sarah plugged some headphones into her ears and was out of the door an hour before the start of her shift. That gave her enough time to walk to work as well as stopping to grab a coffee on the way. She was useless without a little caffeine. The walk took up most of the time and Sarah made her way into the back of the restaurant just five minutes before she was due to start serving. She waved a greeting to the two chefs as she passed through the kitchen to dump her bag and coat in the back room.

'Afternoon, Sarah,' Frank said as she passed.

She tossed her empty coffee cup in the bin and opened up her locker, letting it swing back and clang against the metal behind it. Then Sarah unzipped her coat and threw her things inside, reluctantly switching off her phone and slipping that inside too. Sally, the hostess working that night, gave her a sad smile as she entered the room.

'Sarah, thank god, you've come to rescue me from this boredom!'

Sarah grimaced, 'You're bored already?'

'The lunch rush is more of a lunch that most people forgot existed.'

'The lunch shuffle,' Sarah sighed with a small smile.

'Exactly!' Sally answered. 'Honestly, it's awful. At least now I'll have someone to talk to while I slowly waste away out there.'

Sarah rolled her eyes, 'Could you be any more dramatic?'

Sally paused and looked back at the other woman, her hand on the door to the kitchen. She threw her hand up to her forehead, feigning a faint like a damsel from an old movie.

'Your tables… await!' she said before mock-falling backwards out of the room.

Sarah snorted to herself. _Things never change._

* * *

The Goblin King walked down the main road, his eyes flickering at the signs of restaurants he passed. Focusing on that helped him to ignore the unclean streets he passed through, the casual rubbish that lay where an entitled mortal had dropped it. Being Aboveground wasn't something he savoured, particularly when he had to censor himself.

The glamour fit him as well as his own form, though it wasn't comfortable. There was something about wearing another's face that he didn't enjoy; it felt inauthentic, but his brother had insisted. Jareth spotted the name of the restaurant he sought and crossed the road, barely resisting the urge to use his magic to halt a car that crossed before him, moving too fast.

He sighed as he pushed open the glass door and stepped inside the building. At least the place they'd chosen to meet wasn't as bad as outside. The décor was minimalist and not to his taste, but it had style in its simplicity. The tables and chairs were metal and black, simple and sleek, and abstract paintings were dotted around on the pale green walls. The place wasn't busy, though he hadn't expected it to be given the time of day Aboveground.

Jareth watched a blonde woman cross the dining room and make her way to front desk. His eyes rolled over her clothing and he saw as much as he expected. She wasn't dressed to the nines, but she looked smart enough. His brother hadn't chosen the worst place he could have done, and he supposed he should be grateful. Jareth was almost surprised he hadn't chosen a worse-looking place just to spite him; perhaps the food would be terrible instead.

'Hi, how can I help you today?' the hostess grinned, her blonde curls bouncing slightly as she spoke.

'I'm meeting someone. We have a reservation under the name King.'

She looked down at her list, running her finger down the paper in front of her.

'Looks like the other member of your party is here already. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your table.'

He nodded in thanks and she spun around, leading him over to a table by the far wall, away from the main area of the restaurant. The man sitting at the table she stopped beside was not one he recognised but Jareth took a seat opposite him anyway. The glamour suited his brother more than his own did, though it was still no reflection of the fae beneath. Both of their guises suited their purpose however, as their regular attire and appearance wouldn't have gone by unnoticed in a place like this. They were trying to pass for inconspicuous, according to his brother, but Jareth could only think that what they'd actually succeeded in doing was making it hard for them to recognise each other.

'Your server will be over in a moment,' the hostess said before leaving the two men to their own company.

'Good to see you, brother,' Jareth said, somewhat stiffly.

The other fae grinned, 'Good to see that you _can_ venture Above for a little fun sometimes. I half-expected that you were chained to the Underground at this point.'

Jareth rolled his eyes.

'I would hardly call this fun, Aedan. It's business.'

'Bad business, I'd say, since you've chosen to wear that terrible glamour. It looks nothing like you.'

'Ergo, the point.'

Aedan chuckled and drummed his fingers on the top of the table as he reclined back in his chair. Despite the face he wore, his brother didn't disguise his mannerisms well. Jareth watched the eyes that didn't belong to his brother shift to his right and tried not to sigh as Aedan was already getting distracted, even if only by their promised server.

'You know, brother –'

The Goblin King's mouth closed as caught sight of the woman who'd stopped at their table, smiling down at them with the sort of grin that was sure to be a tip-earner. He stared for a moment, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him, or if his brother was playing some sort of trick on him. Her grin faltered a little as his eyes raked over her, taking in her features. He had to know for sure that it was the girl he knew. She'd matured, yes, but it was most definitely her.

The girl – now woman – who had bested him and his Labyrinth all those years ago. Sarah. And here she was, ready to serve him.

Aedan waved a hand in front of his brother's face, attempting to get his attention and snap him out of the stare that was undoubtedly obvious. His glare and one arched eyebrow shifted to the fae in front of him, who gave a baffled smile.

'I apologise; I wasn't expecting to be interrupted by such a ray of light.'

For her part, Sarah was used to getting stared at every so often, but there was something about the look in his eyes - an intensity that had set her off balance. Sarah felt her cheeks heat just a little but she thought it wouldn't be noticeable; she wasn't taking into account the sharpness of his fae eyes though.

She cleared her throat, trying to brush off his words and said, 'Hi there, my name's Sarah and I'll be your server for the evening. Can I get you any drinks?'

'I'll have whisky, no ice,' Aedan put in.

'What wine would you recommend?' Jareth asked, looking into those green eyes he remembered so well.

'Um, do you prefer red, rosé or white?'

He wet his lips with his tongue, enjoying the fact that her eyes followed the movement.

'Red.'

'The lambrusco is very popular, though it's quite sweet.'

'Sweet is good; I'll have a glass of that, thank you.'

She smiled at them both and then disappeared to place their order. Aedan's long fingers tapped on the top of the table again, demanding attention. Jareth took a breath and turned back to his brother.

'What was that about?' he asked, his glamour contorted in confusion. 'I thought you were done with mortals? You really should be given – '

'As far as I am aware, brother, I can still choose my destiny. Nothing is set in stone.'

'That's interesting. Why are you here then, if your path is within your power? Surely you shouldn't be so worried if you're convinced that you'll see the outcome you desire.'

Jareth's eyes flashed. He said nothing in reply though as he could sense Sarah returning with their drinks. It wouldn't do to have them discussing fate and destiny with her so close. Sarah placed the two drinks down onto the table, carefully lifting them from the tray she balanced on one hand.

She couldn't help but notice that the man who'd chosen wine didn't take his eyes off of her and the intensity of his gaze sent a little shiver through her. _This is stupid_, she thought, but it didn't change the fact that she liked him looking at her.

Sarah jotted down their food order and escaped to the kitchen. As soon as she was through the door she leant back against the wall and let out a long breath. She wasn't really sure why, but there was something fascinating about that man. He wasn't her usual type at all, though she didn't really have much of a type. It was the power behind the looks he was giving her, not just the way he looked at her, that had her on edge. She didn't know what it was but she found it more than difficult to look away.

She placed their order and decided to grab a drink of water to shake herself out of her thoughts. _Maybe someone else should take their table_, she thought. She wasn't doing a very good job serving them after all; she'd barely looked at the man's companion both times she'd been to their table. But she didn't _want_ to leave that table and her oddly entrancing customer. She didn't want him looking at anyone else that way, even if those looks meant nothing.

Sarah steeled herself to go back to the table when their food was ready, a plate in either hand and an expression of polite disinterest on her face. That expression lasted about as long as it took her to place the plate in front of the stranger and for him to thank her. She smiled a small 'you're welcome' and turned to leave.

The sound of metal clattering to the floor stopped her short though and she turned back to the table. The way the man was looking at her made it seem as though he'd knocked the utensil off the table on purpose. _It's just your imagination_. As she crouched to retrieve the fork, he bent down too. Her fingers brushed against his and she looked up at him, a little flustered.

'Oh, I'm so sorry,' she said hurriedly, 'I'll get you a new one.'

Instead of moving away from her, the man simply closed her hand around the fork, his touch lingering on her skin.

'Don't apologise. It was entirely my fault.'

She had to fight back another little shiver while she offered him a small smile and then retreated to replace his cutlery. Jareth smirked to himself, pleased to see the reaction he could elicit in her. Perhaps she was more open to seeing him, the real him, than he'd suspected she would be.

'Glad to see that you're having so much fun,' Aedan muttered, clearly not impressed that his brother's attention was elsewhere. 'Is this why you came to visit me? You don't need to pretend to be on business to do this, brother. Aboveground is always here for the taking and many mortal would follow you willingly down to Hell.'

Jareth levelled him with a dark stare, some of his fae cruelty seeping through his mortal glamour. It didn't stop his brother from continuing however.

'You know, if you wanted to play with mortals then you should have left the Underground long ago. It's a very different world up here.'

Jareth frowned.

'Some of us do not enjoy shirking our responsibilities as much as others.'

Aedan scoffed, 'The goblins would get by fine without a king. Live a little, brother.'

Jareth rolled his eyes.

'I've been gone for just 24 hours and I wouldn't be surprised if they had already erected a giant statue to the chicken overlord they'd crowned in my stead.'

'Probably about as much brain in the chicken as in the current ruler,' the other fae joked.

'You think that's hilarious but you should try dealing with them. It's like collecting grains of sand in a pasta strainer and trying to get them to go where you choose.'

'And here I was thinking that you wouldn't know what a pasta strainer was.' Aedan tilted his head and added, 'Have you been keeping secrets from me, little brother? When was the last time you slipped off Aboveground?'

Jareth didn't rise to the bait.

'I don't have to abandon my kingdom to gather knowledge and experience of the mortal world. I have responsibilities to attend to.'

Aedan took a large sip of his drink.

'You'd probably be more fun if you had.'

Jareth sighed, but said nothing else as Sarah approached them once again carrying a new set of cutlery, wrapped in a serviette. She placed it beside him with a quick smile.

'Here you go; I'm sorry about the wait.'

'Not at all,' Jareth replied smoothly, 'a man could wait a lifetime and still not be angry when it was you who showed up.'

Sarah blinked and frowned a little. _What a strange thing to say_.

'Well, um, enjoy your meals,' she said, making sure to look between both men before returning to the kitchen.

'You really shouldn't do that to the poor thing. You'll have her dreaming about you if you're not careful.'

'I do hope so,' Jareth said quietly, his fingers wrapping around the stem of his wine glass.

'How cruel… If I'd known you would start playing with mortals I'd have found a way to bring you Aboveground long before now.'

Jareth rolled his eyes. That was enough talk about Sarah. He didn't intend to let his brother in on the secret of Sarah's identity since he had not managed to guess it. How could he guess it, after all? The probability of this meeting was extremely slim, after all. Better to let Aedan think he was toying with an unknown mortal than one who mattered; Jareth had no interest in providing his brother with any more of a reason to pay attention to Sarah.

'I don't believe this meeting was intended to discuss my proclivities, brother; we're here to discuss yours,' Jareth hedged.

The older fae tilted his head, amused.

'We'll be here all night if we start discussing the things I want.'

Aedan didn't offer up anything else, but merely leaned further back in his chair. Jareth sighed again, knowing that he was being toyed with. He hadn't intended for this negotiation to get so off track.

'This conversation isn't going anywhere, is it?'

His brother smirked. They both knew the answer to that question. The only reason that Aedan had agreed to this meeting was because he craved the opportunity to play with his younger brother.

'You're still not coming back?'

'Not a chance,' he said, folding his arms like a child who believed they were winning an argument.

'I am honestly not surprised by your selfishness.'

Aedan leant forward, drumming his fingers on the table distractingly. Jareth watched the little sparks of electric flicker between each fingertip and the metal table.

'I'm not sure why you're still bothering.'

Jareth's eyes found Sarah at another table, ignoring the fae beside him.

'I was starting to wonder that too… Until next time, brother.'

'You really should stop trying, you know,' Aedan advised before tilting his glass and tipping the rest of his drink into his mouth.

'That still sounds like a challenge,' Jareth smirked evilly.

'One that you will lose if you pursue it.'

The Goblin King rolled a crystal onto the metal table, watching as it came to a stop in the centre of the table. A blink was all it took for them to vanish. Fortunately for the sanity of the few other restaurant patrons around them, no one had been looking to see it happen or notice a small layer of a glittery dust that had settled in their place.

Sarah moved away from a table with an empty tray and went to check on her other tables only to stop short at what she saw. The man her eyes had been drifting to all night was gone, as was his companion. Their plates were untouched; the cutlery Sarah had brought over was still wrapped up as it had been when she'd brought it over. Frowning, Sarah made her way over to Sally.

'Hey, Sally, did you see where the guys at table seven went?'

Sally blinked, looking around Sarah at the now empty table.

'Uh, no... I swear they were right there. They definitely didn't go passed me. They didn't run out on us, did they?'

Sarah's frown deepened. This was proving to be disappointing in more ways than one. Normally, she would have been annoyed by the lack of tip she would be getting, but tonight she was more annoyed by the man she wouldn't ever get to know. It wasn't that she'd been planning to get to know him, it just seemed a shame to think that she'd never figure out what was behind the intensity between them.

She sighed to herself and went over to the table, resigning herself to the mystery of this man. A small sound of surprised slipped out of her when she noticed that the table wasn't empty like she'd expected it to be. Beside the untouched dishes, on top of a neatly folded, clean serviette, was a credit card. She lifted it up to read the name on the card.

_J. G. King._

Weird, she thought, unsure of what this was supposed to mean. She shrugged her shoulders to herself and tried not to think anything else of it. This was nowhere near the strangest thing that had happened to her before. She took the card to the hostess' desk to put in the till – that was the safest place for it.

She couldn't help but wonder if the man had meant to leave his card – if it was even him that had left it. It could have been his companion, after all. It seemed a strange way to pay for a meal, though Sarah quickly realised that he hadn't technically paid at all. To do that he'd have to come back and enter his details.

Sarah stilled, with her hand in the till drawer. _So he didn't just disappear_. She might get to see him again, after all. She quickly shook her head out of that thought; she probably wouldn't even be working when - if - he did come back. _Best to just forget he was here_, she told herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Another day at work saw Sarah passing her time by making herself busy. She was working an early shift in between the lunch and dinner rush services and it was really starting to feel like a lull. Rather than simply hanging around and waiting for someone to need her, Sarah knew she had to do something to keep herself occupied. She couldn't bear the boredom otherwise.

She'd already cleaned and tidied any tables and gotten them ready for the next customers, and even joked around with the chefs a little before she had to come back out to the dining room. That was how she found herself organising the hostesses' desk so that everything would be in the right place for dinner service. Sally wouldn't mind and that was all she could think to focus her attentions on.

As she worked, Sarah sang softly to herself; she'd had a song stuck in her head all day and, however hard she tried, she couldn't rid herself of it. _May as well let it out a little_, she thought. No one could hear her, after all, given how empty the dining room was. She bent down to place the phone she'd just cleaned back under the desk.

'You have a lovely voice.'

The man's voice jolted her out of her thoughts and her song so hard that she smacked her head on the top of the desk.

'Ouch,' she muttered, her eyes squeezed shut in a wince.

She stood up, one hand moving to rub at the back of her head as she said, 'I'm sorry, I didn't hear anyone come in.'

'Don't apologise. It was entirely my fault.'

Recognising the words, Sarah's eyes opened. She went completely still as her eyes settled on the man – the fae – in front of her. She should have recognised the voice, not the words. She definitely recognised the face. Standing in front of the desk, wearing a dark suit that was more suited to an evening business meeting than a lunchtime meal, was the Goblin King. His hair was loose, yet it made him look no less imposing as he somehow retained an eerily regal stance. He was looking at her, amusement heavy in those mismatched eyes.

'You,' she whispered.

He tilted his head and smirked a little.

'Now Sarah, that's no way to greet an old friend, is it?'

Her mouth moved as if to speak but no words would come out. She didn't understand. A hundred thoughts flickered through her mind, none of them quite finding purchase on her tongue. _How is he here? How did he find me? What does he want?_

'You'll catch flies with your mouth open like that, Sarah.'

She shut her mouth swiftly, but she didn't take her eyes off of him. She didn't dare. First, because she had no idea what he might do, and second, because she might blink and find herself dreaming. Sarah reached across herself and pinched her inner arm hard, making the Goblin King frown a little.

'I'm not dreaming, am I?' she whispered.

'No, you're not.'

'How – why are you here?'

'I find myself in some debt to this establishment; I came to repay what I owe,' he mused simply.

It took a moment for Sarah to understand, but finally she managed, 'Was that you? The other day? The man that disappeared.'

He chuckled to himself.

'I left my card for you.'

The image of the abandoned card flashed into her mind.

'J. G. King… Jareth, Goblin King,' she whispered, her shoulders slumping a little at the realisation.

He bowed his head and she couldn't help but be reminded of the first time she'd seen him, all clad in black and more magnificent and imposing a figure than she'd ever seen before.

'At your service, Sarah. Though it was exceedingly pleasant to have you at mine the other evening.'

She flushed a little, unable to help herself.

'I didn't know that was you.'

He raised one eyebrow at her, 'Would you have acted any differently had you know it was me?'

'I – That's none of your business.'

'Tut-tut, Sarah, that's no way to speak to a customer now, is it?'

She scowled, her hands shifting to rest on her hips.

'Given that you ran out without paying, _and tipping_, might I add, I think I'm entitled to speak to you how I choose, your highness,' she added, slightly mockingly.

Jareth's eyes flashed in warning and Sarah couldn't help but to check herself a little. Maybe restraining herself wouldn't be such a bad thing. It wasn't wise to earn the Goblin King's wrath. She had forgotten how powerful he was, and she had a feeling that she'd be getting a very clear demonstration of that if she continued to push him.

'We're both aware that you beat me once, Sarah, but do you think that that means you can speak to a King in such a manner? Particularly a king that has the ability to bring this place to the ground and below all around you if I should so choose to?'

His eyes were so intense that she couldn't meet them. She swallowed down a growing lump in her throat and her eyes found the desk between them. _Idiot_, she told herself. _I never did learn when to keep my mouth shut._

'Sorry,' she whispered, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying anything else.

She didn't like saying it, or even really think that the apology was deserved, but it seemed best not to poke the bear.

The corner of his lips quirked upwards and he replied, 'Better.'

The Goblin King stepped forward, a little closer to her and the desk. Sarah stood her ground. It wasn't her place to back off; this was where she worked, not his realm, after all. It helped that part of her felt some measure of confidence in the barrier the desk created between them, even if it was only flimsy.

There was another reason that she didn't back off though; it was the way that her mind flickered back to the dream that she'd woken from that morning. Sarah couldn't help but find him intriguing. He always had been, but she wasn't looking with a child's eyes now and his imposing nature was intense in a way that she couldn't help but find alluring.

The Goblin King leaned over the desk, so close that he could almost touch her, and looked as though he was about to speak. Her breath caught as she came back to the reality with a jolt and the silence between them was interrupted by the kitchen door opening and a loud stream of chatter slipping out of the adjoining room.

'You can't be here,' Sarah whispered.

'And yet, here I am.'

She closed her eyes, trying to think of how best to say what she meant.

'I can't explain you, not even as the man from the other night – you don't look like him anymore. You're not a customer and… you really need to leave.'

The Goblin King frowned and slipped back slightly, placing a little more distance between them. He held her gaze, an almost irritated determination etched into his expression.

'I'm not leaving until you give me a promise.'

'A promise?' she asked hurriedly, her mind on her colleagues making their way out of the kitchen.

'A promise. It's a simple thing to give.'

She swallowed, then asked, 'What is it that you want?'

'I want many things - but first, I want you to promise that I can return to you when you are alone.'

She blinked.

'Why?'

'We are not done talking; in fact, we've barely begun.'

She had suspected he wouldn't be content to leave now, not when he hadn't even had the chance to reveal why he was there in the first place. Nothing could be that simple. What had she done to bring the Goblin King to her door? _What is he thinking?_ she wondered.

'Why when I'm alone?'

He smirked at the hesitance in her voice, 'It's easier to talk that way – fewer interruptions. We could talk in public too though.'

'Sarah! Come back here,' one of the chefs called to her through the barely open kitchen door.

Her eyes flicked to the right for a moment, towards the kitchen, and she said, 'Okay, fine. Fine, I promise that you can visit me.'

A glint lit the Goblin King's eyes.

'Oh, Sarah, in the time we've been apart have you forgotten that you should be careful with the words you say?'

Sarah started feeling a little hazy, her worry of her co-workers coming into contact with the Goblin King fading quickly to be replaced by a fear for herself. She hadn't been thinking about what she'd just agreed to at all.

'What? What did I say?'

'Never make a vague promise to a fae,' he grinned, somewhat cruelly.

She frowned.

'Sarah!'

She turned her head toward Sally, who'd obviously gotten bored of waiting for Sarah to make her own way back to the kitchen and had come to get her instead. In a panic, Sarah turned back to look for Jareth, but he was gone.

The blonde woman waved a hand in front of Sarah's face and said, 'Ground control to Major Sarah...'

The dark-haired woman stared at the space where Jareth had just been standing, barely hearing her friend. He had vanished just as silently as he'd appeared.

'Um, sorry,' Sarah muttered.

Sarah had no idea how Sally had managed to miss seeing Jareth, but it was obvious that she had no idea what was making her friend act so strangely. It was almost as if the Goblin King had never been there. _Almost_. He _had_ been there. The evidence was clear in the form of the two stacks of notes on the desk before her. One of the stacks had a small note placed on top of it that Sarah couldn't look away from.

In a thin, curling script the words read: '_Your tip._'


	3. Chapter 3

A week passed by and Sarah heard nothing from the Goblin King, leaving her wondering if he'd even really shown up at her work or if she'd imagined him. She had to keep reminding herself that the massive tip he'd left her was evidence that she wasn't going crazy at least. Of course, that meant that his promise to visit her was real too, and even his disappearance didn't stop her from being on edge. She half-expected him to pop up at any second, no matter where she was. It didn't help that he actually had the ability to do that.

She couldn't help but dwell on the words he'd left her with. She cursed herself for not being more precise when she'd made that promise. It wasn't fair though; he'd put her under pressure by asking her when Sally was coming. _Stupid Goblin King_, she thought. _Stupid me._ He knew what he was doing when he had her say that and it had left her open to him reappearing whenever he chose. It was just her bad luck that she'd fallen for it.

Her dreams hadn't stopped; they'd gotten worse, in fact. Sarah saw his face every night while she slept and woke up feeling more and more frustrated. She had no idea what was happening, or why, or even if he had anything to do with it - but the Goblin King was haunting her dreams.

Sarah opted for what she viewed as the best source of dealing with her frustrations: distraction. Her knuckles knocked against Sally's door and she waited, arms laden with a bottle of wine and a bag filled with her heels and other necessities. The door opened and Sarah was ushered inside to a room where the music was too loud and the place was an utter mess.

Various glasses, bottles, clothes and items of make-up were strewn around the room and no one seemed to mind. Nina sat cross-legged on the floor in front of a mirror while she straightened her hair; she'd no doubt been there for some time. Liz had opened the door and went to top her drink up without even saying hello to Sarah. Sarah smiled at Sally, who was already dancing to the music.

'Drink, Sarah?' Liz asked from the kitchen.

Sarah lifted the bottle in her hand.

'Just a glass, please.'

'Sarah, I am so glad you're here – at least you'll dance with me.'

'Not yet, Sal. I think I need something to drink first,' Sarah laughed.

Sally pouted, '_Fine_, spoil sport.'

'She says that as if we're not all going out specifically to dance _all night_,' Nina chipped in, clamping her straightening tongs down on another strand of hair.

Sally flopped into an armchair, slightly disheartened, 'Less talky talk from you, more with the straightening. We'll be here all night at this rate.'

'A masterpiece doesn't happen in an instant, you know.'

'Yeah, but it would be great if it could happen before last orders.'

Nina grabbed a shoe from where it lay beside her and threw it in Sally's direction. Sarah laughed as Liz handed her a glass before picking up Nina's improvised weapon.

'Could you guys at least try not to destroy my apartment?'

'If you insist,' Nina said, rolling her eyes.

For the next hour, they continued to get ready and Sarah had to try on everything she'd brought with her before finally settling on a tight, black top and a skirt that hit her mid thighs. After a considerable amount of alcohol had been consumed, the group piled into a taxi to go to their favourite bar.

Sarah grinned, even though she was squashed between Nina and Liz in the backseat. This was exactly what she needed; the bar was perfect because there was always a good mix of drinking and dancing to be had – and she needed to relax. With everything that had been clouding her mind, she needed a break.

They didn't queue for long before getting into the bar; Sally nodded to a bouncer she knew as she passed. Part of the reason they came to this bar was because Sally was there enough to be on first-name terms with the staff. Before anything else, they headed to the bar for a few rounds and it wasn't long before Sally had them doing shots of something that Sarah thought was vile but downed anyway.

With enough of a buzz in their group, they fell onto the dancefloor and stayed there while song after song flitted by. That was until the strap on Sarah's heel snapped, almost sending her stumbling to the floor. Rather than try to continue with the broken shoe, Sarah made her way to the bar and took a seat, leaving the others to keep going. It wasn't too busy right then to be an off-putting place to sit and everyone would be able to find her again when they came to get another drink.

Sarah tapped her foot to the beat of the music, her elbows resting on the bar top. It hadn't gotten to the stage in the evening that it was too sticky to touch yet, so that was a plus. She sipped at the lemon-flavoured gin she'd ordered and reminded herself not to drink too much too fast. It would be all too easy to do now that she wasn't dancing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone approach, getting a little closer than she appreciated. She turned to give whoever it was a few choice words when her eyes settled on the Goblin King. She almost dropped her drink, her words stalling on her tongue. He gave her an amused smile, clearly enjoying his ability to surprise her. He took a seat beside her – a seat that she was almost certain hadn't been there a moment ago.

'You've got to stop doing that,' she said, taking a long drink to give herself courage.

'But it's so fun to see you panic for just a second when you realise it's me.'

She frowned.

'That's kind of assholeish.'

He laughed, throwing his head back slightly as he did.

'Would it help if I added that I prefer the face you make after that one?'

'What face?' she demanded.

'Now that would be telling.'

She rolled her eyes. It wasn't worth pursuing that question; she could tell he was being vague on purpose._ It will probably frustrate him more if I don't ask._

'You seem a little tetchy, Sarah. There isn't perhaps any reason for that, is there?'

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from saying too much. The way he'd said that suggested that he knew that she'd been on edge all week and that he was the cause. Whether he knew about the dreams or not, she wasn't going to admit that he had been tormenting her subconscious. She shrugged.

'I haven't been sleeping all that well. Something about certain Goblin King being able to zap himself into my life whenever he chooses has been keeping me awake.'

He chuckled, 'Don't give me ideas. Also, I do not, and have never, _zapped_ anywhere.'

She took another swig of her drink and replied, 'You know what I mean.'

He tilted his head to the side, considering her.

'Why would you come to a place like this, with music so loud, just to sit at a bar if you're tired?'

Sarah blinked. She hadn't noticed until he'd mentioned the music, but it _wasn't_ too loud. It definitely had been before though. She could hear him without either of them shouting, but from the look of everyone else in the place, the music hadn't quietened. _Magic_, she thought. It had been so long since magic had made an appearance in her life and now that it was back, she was already not noticing. She didn't like that at all, but it was probably better that he didn't know that.

'My heel broke,' she offered with a sigh, lifting her foot slightly to show him the offending item.

'Well, that won't do.'

She frowned as Jareth stood and promptly crouched beside her leg. Her eyes didn't leave him and her breath stalled as she looked down at the top of his head. His fingers brushed against her ankle in an almost seductively soft way. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she could feel the way that his fingers brushed against her skin.

'There; all fixed,' he said.

As he stood, Jareth trailed his hand upwards, his fingers never leaving the inside of her leg until he took his seat again. It took Sarah a second to snap out of her thoughts.

'I – um, thank you,' she managed.

Sarah cursed herself. Those dreams had clearly been influencing her more than she'd thought for what he'd just done to have affected her that much. _Get a grip, Sarah._

'Why are you here, Jareth?' she asked when her senses had returned to her.

'Is it not enough that I wished to see how you were?'

She looked at him sceptically.

'You do remember the last proper time we saw each other, don't you?'

'Vividly.'

She shook her head and said, 'I don't understand then. I – I don't think I'd want to see me after what I did – unless – please tell me you're not here to get revenge or something?'

He chuckled. He liked it that Sarah had had a little to drink; apparently it loosened her tongue just enough to let her speak to him properly.

'No, Sarah. I'm not here for revenge, though it does amuse me that you think I'd tell you if I was. Perhaps I just felt like checking in on the Champion of the Labyrinth.'

She laughed a little, 'And how have you found her?'

He licked his lips to wet them.

'Frustrated, apparently.'

She swallowed. He wasn't supposed to have noticed that. How could he have?

He looked over her shoulder and said, 'I think your friends may want me to return you.'

Sarah followed his gaze and saw Liz waving at her from the dancefloor. She gave her and the others a smile and a wave but nothing else – and most especially not the rescue signal they'd worked out in case someone was being flirted with and they needed an escape. Jareth's lip twitched as she turned back to him.

'I'm not ready to give you up just yet.'

_Holy fuck_, she thought. There was something in the way he'd said that - a possessiveness that made the hairs on her arms stand up. It also reminded her a little too much of her most recent dreams. It was hearing him say that – the real him, not her subconscious rendition of him - that had her a little weak.

To distract herself from that feeling, Sarah said, 'I thought you were only coming to visit me when I was alone.'

He smiled a little mischievously, 'If you recall I also added '_We could talk in public too_'; that was for your benefit, I believe.'

She frowned, pulling another laugh from the Goblin King.

'And here I was thinking you'd be happier to see me where there was no risk of me magicking you away to the Underground.'

He didn't fail to notice her hand tighten its grip around her glass, her knuckles whitening. Softly, he placed a hand over hers and looked seriously into her eyes.

'You know I wouldn't do that, Sarah, don't you? It's not fun playing without consent,' he added with a small upward tilt of his lips.

He felt her hand relax a little, but her eyes were tinted with anger as she said, 'And when you took Toby, that was with consent?'

He raised an arched brow.

'You said the right words.'

The imperious, regal tone was back in his voice, but Sarah pushed on anyway.

'And then I said I didn't mean it.'

'What's said is said, and I couldn't break a fae bargain.'

Her lips pursed in irritation. It was obvious that that conversation would never get them anywhere. He would never believe he was wrong and she could never thank him for what he did. She had a feeling that it would forever be a moot point between them.

'And we haven't made any more bargains aside from you allowing me to visit you,' she said slowly.

He nodded once.

Taking a swig of her drink, she added, 'I'm starting to think I should have been more careful with that…'

His eyes glinted.

'You should always be careful with your promises.'

'Noted,' she said, draining her glass. 'I think I need another drink.'

The Goblin King placed the hand that had rested on hers for a little too long on his chest, feigning hurt.

'You make out that I'm driving you to drink. Surely my company isn't so terrible?'

Before Sarah could either agree with him or start looking for the bartender, a drink appeared in Jareth's hand and he passed it to her. Her mouth fell open a little and it took her a moment to recover.

'Magic… _right_. This isn't some trick, is it?'

'A trick?'

'Yeah, like I drink this and find myself faerie roofied and I wake up in the Underground or something?'

She could read the amusement in his expression and it irritated her. It wasn't out of the realms of possibility that he would drug her.

'I wouldn't dream of…' he trailed off, unable to finish his lie.

She stared at him a little concerned, ready to throw the drink back in his face. Literally.

'It's no more than a drink you could have purchased here; it has nothing of my world in it, I promise.'

She was sceptical, but there was something honest in his expression that had her hesitating, her rejection on the tip of her tongue.

'I can't lie, Sarah. It's not an ability that fae possess.'

'That sounds like something a liar would say.'

He laughed, 'So you have the option to trust me or not to trust me. I await your choice with baited breath.'

Sarah supressed a snort and lifted the offered glass.

'This had better not be peach flavoured.'

He waited until she'd taken a sip to add, 'It's nice to hear that you think of waking up in the Underground though.'

She choked on her drink and blushed a little. _Why, oh, why, do I drink_? she thought, regretting her words instantly. He patted her back slightly until she stopped coughing.

'Thanks,' she half-spluttered.

_Could this be any more ridiculously embarrassing?_ she wondered. Jareth's eyes flickered behind her again and she realised that it most definitely could get more embarrassing. It was clear from the shift in his expression that her friends had chosen that particular moment to check in on her.

'Sarah, what's going on? You've been ages – oh!'

Sally stopped abruptly when she saw Jareth. There was instantly something suggestive in her expression that had Sarah rolling her eyes.

'Sorry, I just ran into… an old friend. Sally, this is Jareth. Jareth, Sally – we work together.'

He held out a hand for her and kissed her knuckles. Sarah had to resist rolling her eyes again as Sally giggled the most ridiculous laugh at him.

Biting her lip Sally said, 'Sure, um, I leave you to… catch up… If you need us, Sarah, we're just on the dancefloor.'

'Thanks,' Sarah said, offering her friend a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Sally was making a fool out of herself and she had no idea. Sure, Jareth was… well, he was really sexy. And he had that unattainable sort of beauty, regal bearing and those intense eyes that were kind of irresistible. And there was that smirk… Sarah felt his fingers brush against her cheek, bringing her attention back to him.

'You're staring, pet. What are you thinking about?'

She blushed.

'Nothing,' she answered a little too quickly, looking down at the drink in her hand.

'I wish you wouldn't lie to me; it's frustrating.'

She laughed a little. It was fun to see him irritated about not getting his way; a little part of her enjoyed frustrating him too after all the mornings she'd woken up unsatisfied because of him. She stopped laughing as soon as the hard glint appeared in his eye.

'Are you laughing at me?'

'Uh, n-'

'Don't lie.'

'I just… It's funny seeing you pout about not getting your way.'

He pushed himself off of his seat and moved closer to her, the intensity in his eyes holding her still. Sarah had to stop her mouth from falling open slightly as he stood in front of her, just far enough away to not be touching her.

'I'm used to getting what I want, pet.'


	4. Chapter 4

_'I'm used to getting what I want.'_

_That's an interesting thought_, Sarah mused. Maybe he really wasn't so different from the dream version of him that she'd conjured up. With that, he stood swiftly and offered her his hand.

'Would you care to dance?'

The abrupt change in his tone took her off guard, as did the proposal. Sarah looked at him a little sceptically but it was clear that he was serious. She set the glass down on the bar and shifted in her seat.

'Here?' she asked sceptically.

'Unless you'd prefer to go somewhere else?'

'No, no, I just… I was thinking of the last time we danced together… This is like the opposite of that kind of dancing. No ballgowns here…' she trailed off.

She could see in his expression that she'd obviously said something very amusing. _And he was worried about me laughing at him._

'I promise you, I can keep up with you,' he chuckled.

'And you can't lie… Okay, you're on,' she replied, dropping her hand into his and swivelling off of her chair.

He pulled her onto the dancefloor and Sarah lost track of everything. It was easy to get lost in the way he moved – the way they moved together. This wasn't the sort of dance she'd expected to have with the Goblin King since she'd been mad enough to accept the offer, but he moved so well. She didn't know how many songs had passed but it had to have been some time. Soon Sarah was exhausted, though Jareth barely looked like the heat of the dancefloor had phased him. At the end of a particularly energetic song, Jareth held her pressed to him.

'It's really hot in here,' she said, catching her breath.

_In more ways than one_, she thought, trying to ignore the feeling of his body on hers, the hand on her back that wasn't letting her pull away.

'Let's go out to the balcony,' she suggested.

He nodded and allowed her to lead him to the elevated patio of the bar. The wave of cool air hit Sarah as soon as she walked outside and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was the kind of relief that her morning shower usually provided. The area was crowded with people, so they moved up-wind of the smokers and found an empty table that Sarah guessed had somehow magically been emptied not too long ago. Had it even been there before they'd stepped outside?

Trying not to think of what Jareth may or may not have done with their surroundings, Sarah hopped up onto a wooden table, while Jareth took a chair beside her. The choice of seat had been a good one on his part. He was enjoying the view from there, especially as Sarah arched her back and started fanning herself with a flat palm.

'I don't think I've ever done that before.'

'What?' he questioned.

'Normal people don't dance like that.'

'And how am I to take that statement?'

Sarah sighed. She didn't know how to describe what they had just done to him. It was _sexy_. Actually, it was closer to the act itself for Sarah, though she wouldn't admit that to him. The way he moved was something she'd not felt or seen before, and, perhaps it was because of her dreams, Sarah found it very hard to step away from him. She pulled her hair over one shoulder, baring the skin there beneath the thin strap of her top. He watched her closely, judging the expressions flitting across her features.

'You know what I mean,' she said.

'Say it,' he said.

It was an order. An amused order, but still an order. Sarah's lips twitched. She couldn't help but rise to the bait and leant over toward him. They were both well aware that that put her breasts at his eye level, though his gaze didn't leave hers for a second.

'It was hot. Really, really hot. The kind of hot that I don't usually get outside of a bedroom.'

Her eyes slipped from his and she found herself staring at his lips. Before she knew it, they were on hers, crushing her lips with a sudden possessive need. She wasn't even sure _whose_ need it was. A moan vibrated from her as her mouth opened for him. She slipped into his lap and she would have wondered how it had happened if the way his hand was winding it her hair wasn't so distracting.

'Oh,' she sighed as she pulled back, her fingertips pressing against her kiss-swollen bottom lip. 'Why did I do that?'

'You've started something now, pet,' he said so quietly that she barely heard him.

Their faces were still so close together that she could feel his breath on her lips still and it was maddening.

'But I… I didn't mean to,' she whispered.

'Are you lying again?'

'Maybe.'

He repeated his earlier words, though this time more softly, 'Don't lie to me.'

She met the intense stare of his mismatched eyes and something changed. She stood up ungracefully and pushed herself back to the wall beside their table. She needed distance. She wasn't quite sure what was happening or what had happened. He looked at her questioningly; it would be difficult to miss the confusion suddenly written on her face.

'I think I've had too much to drink.'

'Why do you say that?'

She covered her face with her hands, rubbing at her forehead.

'I'm not supposed to flirt with the Goblin King, let alone kiss him…'

'The Goblin King thus-far has no complaints.'

She ignored that, instead focusing on her breathing. _This is wrong; this _has_ to be wrong. No way did I just do that with him._

'I need to go home.'

'I'll escort you,' Jareth said, getting to his feet with far more grace than she had.

'No!' Sarah said sharply, panicked. 'I mean, _no_, I just… I have to go.'

And with that, Sarah ran, leaving the Goblin King to watch the Champion of his Labyrinth run from him again.


End file.
